The time is here!!! It’s time to cast your vote for 2016 BentRider Recumbent of the Year! Due to our nomination rules (must be new or majorly revised for 2016 and widely available at the end of the calendar year) the list is a bit short again year but there are a lot of great options! And if I missed one feel free to let me know but PLEASE keep the rules in mind. Learn how to cast your vote below!

PLEASE read this entire article carefully. If you email with questions that are clearly explained in the following article I will not respond. We get A LOT of emails related to this.

Recumbent of the year is decided on a seven vote system.

You, our loyal readers, will get one collective vote. Meaning… You will all vote on your choice for Bike/Trike/Accessory of the Year. The nominees you choose as a unit in each category will be counted as one vote. Official voting begins December 15th and ends on December 31st. We will make the announcement on January 1st, 2017. ALL VOTES MUST BE SUBMITTED VIA EMAIL TO ADMIN@BENTRIDERONLINE.COM. Votes posted on the message board or Facebook page will NOT be counted.

Our editors (Larry and Bryan) also get one vote each.

Two dealers (whose names will not be released and will change year to year) also get one vote each. We’ll make sure to include ones that are large enough to encompass many brands and therefore not be biased.

We will also be giving out two anonymous wild card votes to other recumbent writers/bloggers/insiders. Again, these will change year to year. If any of these four voters want to disclose they’re vote, they’re welcome to but we won’t be breaking it down here on BentRider.

If you don’t see a bike or trike or accessory on the list please remember that in order to be nominated a bike MUST be either completely new and/or completely revised in 2016. AND it must have been widely available at some point during the calendar year. (For example, the Greenspeed Aero isn’t on the list this year because it’s just now hitting dealers.) Accessories must be recumbent specific, new or completely revised for 2016 and widely available at the end of the calendar year.

And now… THE NOMINEES!!! (All nominees are linked back to either the BentRider review or the manufacturer web site.)

BIKE OF THE YEAR

Cruzbike Silvio S30 – The Cruzbike Silvio isn’t entirely new for 2016 but it’s had some major revisions. Most notably, the front suspension is now gone and replaced with a more rigid front end. The carbon fiber leaf spring rear suspension remains, but the Silvio is now more of a budget-Vendetta than it once was.

Linear Folding Roadster – Linear’s Roadster got a folding option this year! The Roadster has always been a bike with fantastic handling and now it folds quickly and easily into a shockingly small little package. The new reflective color options are also a big plus. The company is also very easy to deal with and will build it almost any way you like.

Lightning P-38 ROX – The Lightning P-38 is a true legend that’s been in production for nearly 30 years. When it gets an update, it’s a bid deal. For 2016, Lightning has added the ROX option. This includes a wider fork and rear triangle to accept fatter tires and a beefier seat frame to handle the bumps and abuse. All for only a 1.5 lb weight penalty!

Performer Folding FWD – Outward appearances aren’t much different, but Performer has heavily updated their little folding lowracer for 2016. It’s a nimble, unique and fast little bike that folds in seconds. Performer’s quality level has also taken great strides as of late.

Schlitter Encore 20 – Want a fancy carbon fiber highracer but you’re scared about the seat height? Schlitter presents to you the Encore 20. The head angle is tweaked from the standard Encore and a 20” fork is installed with your choice of either a 406 or 451mm wheel. All of the other Encore awesomeness remains intact.

TRIKE OF THE YEAR

AZUB Ti-FLY – AZUB took awhile to jump into the full-suspension trike market, but they’ve made a major splash now that they have. The Ti-FLY’s titanium leaf spring front suspension is totally unique and works great. And it looks like it’s from the future. The Ti-FLY is available with either a 20″ or 26″ rear wheel and several different rack options. All of the great features of their award-winning TriCon also remain.

Catrike Dumont – When Catrike introduced their first full-suspension trike for 2016, they really wanted to retain the sporty feel that their company is known for. They’ve nailed that with the Dumont. It’s a full-suspension touring trike, but it’s Catrike DNA shines through in every possible way. The Dumont’s rear swingarm is a piece of art. Catrike’s build quality has also risen to a level on par with anyone in the world.

TerraTrike Sportster – TerraTrike rarely branches out into the upper end of the market segment, but the newly redesigned Sportster is firmly aimed at those who like a little flash on their trikes. It’s aluminum frame has been updated and the steering has been heavily revised. The result is the most-refined and best-looking TerraTrike I’ve ever ridden.

Trident Terrain – Fat trikes continue to be massively popular but a lot of them are very expensive and may not be something you want to get TOO dirty. The Terrain alleviates that concern. The asking price is more than reasonable and makes the Terrain something that you don’t mind taking out in the slop. And it even rides and handles well to boot!

Sun Seeker Fat Tad – Sun Seeker has also taken a more budget-minded route with their fat trike. The Fat Tad retains a bit of full-suspension and is available only with 20” wheels which is unique. It also has much-improved build quality over previous Suns. Their new seat is also a big improvement.

ACCESSORY OF THE YEAR

Bend-It Excursion Cycling Pants – There are a lot of options for cycling pants but many of them aren’t too recumbent-friendly. Bend-It came up with a great solution with their new Excursion pants. They’re roomy, have lots of pockets, are cut so that they stay comfortable on a recumbent and they even roll up when it warms up.

Finer Recliner Gen2 CURVE Neckrest – Our message board readers love their trike bling and one of their favorite products for years has been the Finer Recliner neckrest. The Gen2 version is more adjustable and still retains everything we love about Finer Recliner products. And it’s fully customizable! If you can think of it, they can embroider it on your neckrest.

Peddlers TrikeStand Magnum and Storage Solution – Finding a way to work on your trike can be difficult. Peddlers has made some great stands for years but their newest offering takes it up a notch. Not only is it a great workstand, it also converts into a great device for storing your trike in a crowded garage.

TerraCycle Universal Flag Mount – A flag mount may not seem like a big deal, but a flag on a trike is an almost mandatory safety item. If you don’t have a way to mount one, it can be very frustrating. As they often do, TerraCycle has come to rescue with their very slick Universal Flag Mount. And Universal it is.